England vs. New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Many find it upsetting to see the stadium empty for the tournament’s first match

In what was seen as a rematch of the thrilling 2019 World Cup final between the two countries, New Zealand thrashed England handily in the first match of the 2023 ODI World Cup. In a sense, New Zealand got their World Cup retaliation early, and they also served as a message to all other rivals. However, apart from the cricketing action, the empty-looking Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which served as the event’s host, has generated a lot of conversation both during and after the play. Social media has been flooded with pictures and videos showing wide sections of empty stadium seats, and it is not a pleasant sight.

With a capacity of 132,000, Narendra Modi Stadium is the biggest cricket stadium in the world. Many analysts and fans agreed that the stadium’s enormous seating capacity meant that even if a sizable number of spectators packed it, it may still seem empty. Therefore, it was questioned why this location was chosen for the flagship tournament’s first game.

The bulk of cricket stadiums across the globe have capacities under 50,000, thus although a crowd of 40,000 people would be plenty to fill the vast majority of stadiums, it may not be enough for the Ahmedabad venue.

The absence of the Indian cricket team from this match, which was also a topic of concern, may have had a significant impact on attendance. Some have even said that the stadium’s emptiness is proof that Indian cricket fans prefer to watch their team play than watch cricket in general.

Others said that the World Cup should have opened with an India match in order to engage the crowd straight away and generate more excitement for the occasion.

Virender Sehwag, a former cricketer for India, said that because it wasn’t an international game, students should have been given free admission. Sehwag said on X (previously Twitter) that the decision will assist with the “fading interest in 50 over game” because it would provide young people the chance to attend a World Cup game and give players the opportunity to perform in front of a packed stadium.

The event’s poor promotion, late ticket sales, last-minute venue changes, and excessive ticket pricing were all mentioned in the rumblings. supporters have also voiced reservations over the lack of tickets for the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan game, which is set to take place at the same Narendra Modi Stadium on October 14. Additionally, Pakistani supporters are still waiting for their visas so they may come to India for the quadrennial spectacular.